Warrior Cats: The Deaf Warrior

Chapter Eight

Goosepaw could feel paws nudging him roughly.

He blinked open his eyes, as much as he wanted to keep them closed. Looking up, he could see a blurred cat before him. Large, with tortoiseshell fur.

The cat meowed something, but there was no way he could tell what it was. Slowly, a shape formed in front of him.

"Dawnpaw..." He forced the older apprentice's name out.

"You're okay!" her eyes shone. "Oh, thank StarClan! Goosepaw, don't you dare go fainting on me again!"

The white tom lowered his head, feeling a little embarrassed. So he really had fainted. He hadn't even been injured by either of the foxes - he had just freaked out seeing how badly hurt Fuzzypaw was.

Wait... Fuzzypaw!

He raised his head again, heaving himself up on trembling paws. "Where's Fuzzypaw?" He asked.

Then, he realised where he was. Mossfur's den. Had the Clan actually thought there was something wrong with him?

She lay in the next to him. Mossfur was leaning over her. He examined her body, using all of his willpower not to faint again.

Of course, she had cleaned up a little thanks to Mossfur and her herbs, but what really spooked him was how much blood covered one of the small apprentice's eyes. He couldn't even see her eye at all.

Mossfur meowed several things to Dawnpaw, who stared down at Fuzzypaw, unable to disguise her unease.

I wonder where Lilypaw is.

It was like Dawnpaw had read his mind.

"She got sent on a patrol to check whether the foxes have left." Dawnpaw explained.

Of course. The Clan don't want Lilypaw to see her sister like this.

Mossfur turned to Goosepaw. "You don't seem hurt at all. Do you feel well enough to leave the den?"

Goosepaw gave a nod. He wanted to curl up and go to sleep, but he could do that in his own den.

He followed Dawnpaw out of the medicine cat den, and was rather stunned when he saw all of his family waiting.

"Oh, thank StarClan," Flamefeather looked relieved. "Mossfur said you were fine, but I wasn't going to believe it until you woke up."

Scorchpaw bounded over, eyes shining. "Your first fight, and you didn't get hurt at all!"

Goosepaw felt himself tremble with shame. If he had fought properly, maybe Fuzzypaw wouldn't be hurt.

"I didn't even fight."

Scorchpaw paused, before shrugging. "We've only been apprentices for a few days."

True, but I know you would still fight like a warrior if you had faced those foxes.

"Goosepaw..." Sheepcloud took a deep breath. "I was so scared." She started to speak quickly, ignoring Goosepaw as he pleaded for her to slow down. Then again, he didn't really need to know why his mother was saying. The glare Flamefeather was giving her showed enough.

She's talking about me being a medicine cat.

Dawnpaw stood by Goosepaw's side, standing up straight and tall, little emotion shown on her face. She turned to him. "Should I stay, or leave?"

Goosepaw wasn't sure. He knew Dawnpaw was asking because the rest of Goosepaw's family was here, but did he really want her to leave?

"Whatever you want." Dawnpaw's presence calmed him, though it also made him a little uneasy. She's the strongest apprentice, and the bravest one, too.